MV VV Giri kickstarts Assam’s cargo movement after 10-year gap, Sonowal terms it "watershed moment"

The Kopili River (National Waterway-57) was officially operationalised today with the successful completion of its first-ever intra-state cargo trial movement. This marks a crucial milestone in India’s inland water transport strategy and aligns with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and PM Gati Shakti initiative.

The inaugural cargo, comprising 300 metric tonnes of cement from M/s Star Cement, was flagged off from Govardhan Bridge in Chandrapur, Kamrup, to Hatsingimari in South Salmara. Transported by cargo vessel MV VV Giri, equipped with advanced self-loading capabilities, the journey spanned a 300-kilometre route via Kopili and Brahmaputra (NW-2) rivers and took approximately 12 to 14 hours.

This marks the first trial run on NW-57 since 2014, reactivating a long-dormant river corridor and restoring connectivity across Assam’s river systems. With this development, a total of 1168 km of National Waterways in Assam are now fully operational.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal hailed the event as a “watershed moment for Assam”, adding that the operationalisation of NW-57 represents a rebirth of the state’s historic inland water trade.

“With the revival of NW-57 on the Kopili River, we are restoring a long-lost artery of intra-state commerce. This move supports an economical, efficient, and environmentally sustainable logistics ecosystem,” said Sonowal.

He emphasized that the move supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a self-reliant and thriving Northeast, with inland waterways playing a central role in regional development.

“The Kopili cargo movement is a symbol of the new Assam — connected, empowered, and aligned with India’s growth story,” he said.

By shifting freight from road to waterways, the government expects to reduce road congestion, emissions, and logistics costs. The current movement alone replaced around 23 truckloads of cargo, showcasing the substantial capacity and eco-efficiency of inland water transport.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, has been leading the charge in reviving navigation across Northeast rivers. In addition to Kopili (NW-57), other operational waterways now include:

Brahmaputra (NW-2)

Barak (NW-16)

Dhansiri (NW-31)

Sonowal confirmed that more initiatives are underway to expand cargo and passenger movement on these arteries, which he termed as “lifelines of regional prosperity.”